The long and the short of the beard

Bad news for men with beards – a new survey has found that their attractiveness may fade as facial hair becomes mainstream. Brian Canty grows a beard – and notes the impact ‘the peak beard effect’ has on the opposite sex.

FIRST it was a trickle, a smattering of whiskers, the odd guy around town. Some, mainly concerned parents, suggested it was laziness. Others, mainly women, branded it an attempt to look older and, well, more manly.